Neutral Milk Hotel was formed in 1991 by Jeff Mangum, Bill Doss, and Will Cullen Hart under the name ‘The Olivia Tremor Control’. After recording a few demo cassettes with the name ‘Milk’, the band took up their current name, Neutral Milk Hotel. Soon after their 1993 recording of Hype City Soundtrack, Jeff Mangum became a drifter, staying with friends while roaming the country. Soon after recording the record Everything Is, Jeff moved to Denver, Colorado to record On Avery Island, their first full album. Another two years later, the band released In The Aeroplane Over the Sea, which turned out to be their last released album. The band has been on hiatus ever since, although Jeff Mangum is still very active on the indie music scene. Here are, in my opinion, the top ten songs from their studio albums.
The Fool
The fifth track on In The Aeroplane Over the Sea, this song is an instrumental lead mostly by horns played by Scott Spillane. The horns in the song are nearly as expressive as Mangum’s lyrics, and the instruments all add up to create a great, melancholy tune.
Oh Comely
A beautiful song from In The Aeroplane Over the Sea with possibly the strangest lyrics on the album. Although the album is famous for it’s vague lyrics, most people are stumped by what this song means. Mangum himself refuses to explain the meaning, although he sometimes drops hints as to what it could mean.
Untitled (Track 10 from In The Aeroplane Over The Sea)
Another instrumental, also from Aeroplane Over the Sea, titled only as ’10’ according to the liner notes for the album. Featuring a synthesizer, trombone and accordion, the song is upbeat and energetic.
In The Aeroplane Over the Sea
The title song from the album, In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. The song has it’s own eerie sound, which can be attributed to the use of a singing saw to create a ghostly sound. The lyrics are much lighter than most of the band’s songs, being about enjoying life while you have the chance.
Two-Headed Boy
This song from Aeroplane Over the Sea has a strange sound to it (stranger than the other songs, at least). Mangum’s expressive lyrics and voice bring the song together.
Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone
These two songs are one track as a part of On Avery Island. According to Mangum, the Gardenhead was a short man who lived across the street from him for a time after he dropped out of college. Mangum also said that Leave Me Alone was written after a bad
Where You’ll Find Me Now
The sixth track from On Avery Island, Where You’ll Find Me Now is a slow but moving song about losing love by making mistakes. The song itself is beautiful, and the music box which is played at the end makes the entire song that much better.
Song Against Sex
The opening song for On Avery Island. The song’s upbeat sound and energetic feel collide with somewhat depressing lyrics. When Neutral Milk Hotel was on tour, it became a staple of their concerts.
The King of Carrot Flowers, Parts 2 and 3
The second track of Aeroplane Over the Sea, King of Carrot Flowers Parts 2 and 3 is actually two songs. Part 2 was made for Aeroplane Over the Sea, but part 3 was originally released as “Up And Over We Go” on Hype City Soundtrack.
Holland, 1945
Aeroplane Over the Sea’s sixth track, Holland, 1945 is one of Neutral Milk Hotel’s more upbeat songs. It refers throughout to Anne Frank, in that 1945 is the year she and her sister Margot died of typhus. Originally, Mangum had planned to name it “Holland” or “1945”, but ended up using both when he wrote them both down on a piece of sheet music.
